.: 100% Polyester .: Light fabric (4.0 oz/yd² (113 g/m²)) / (6.0 oz/yd² (170 g/m²)) .: Regular fit .: Runs true to size BATTLE CRY OF THE AIRBORNE "DEATH FROM ABOVE" Benjamin Franklin envisioned the danger of airborne attack in 1784, only a few months after the first manned flight in a hot air balloon. Airborne forces are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in airborne units are also known as paratroopers. The main advantage of airborne forces is their ability to be deployed into combat zones without land passage, as long as the airspace is accessible. Formations of airborne forces are limited only by the number and size of their transport aircraft; a sizeable force can appear "out of the sky" behind enemy lines in merely hours if not minutes, an action known as vertical envelopment.